If you wish to wear a cape this Fall season, but find it difficult to buy one due to cash crunch, here's a way out. All you need to do is to invest some of your time, creative skills and innovation, so that you can have a cape of your own. What's more, the cape will bear the signature of your tailoring talents too! Read on and learn to make a cape at home.
Complexity Level
Moderate
Time required
1 Hour
Resources required
1. Yard of Houndstooth fabric
2. Yard of leather trim
3. Scissors
4. Measuring tape
5. Paper pasting
6. Cotton sewing threads
7. Belt buckle
8. Leather pasting glue
Instructions
1. Arrange your materials
Before you start moving ahead with your project, you must get all the things ready by your side. The houndstooth fabric that you have selected for the project should be of two yards in length and enough wide to cover your entire back and chest when you finally wear the cape. You must also get hold of cotton threads in the color, similar to the color of your base fabric.
2. Start with your project
On a flat surface completely spread out the base fabric of your cape. Even out the surface with you hands to avoid crease anywhere. Now, demarcate the central line in the fabric and fold it into two equal parts from that central line, so that one part overlaps with the other. Again, even out the folded fabric completely with the help of your hands. If you find any stubborn fold or crease on the surface of the fabric, you can use hot iron and press the fabric once.
3. Create the neckline and belt loop
On the folded fabric plot an imaginary central line. Now, taking your head measurement, create a V shaped stencil on a paper. Place this V stencil on the imaginary central line in such a way that the tip of V coincides with this line, while the tip of the arms of V, touch the border line of the fabric. Take a tailoring chalk and trace the V shape on the fabric. Now, cut the V shaped neckline on the fabric, leaving enough space for the seam allowance. On the mid half of the fabric, plot two positions for belt loop in the front part, away from the imaginary central line with a gap of six inches in between.
4. Stitching time
Cut narrow strips from the houdstooth fabric to make the belt loop. Stitch the seams of the same and attach it to the fabric. Now, fold the seam along the neckline in the inward direction. Place a fabric pasting in between the seam, iron it to set it rightly and then stitch the neckline.
5. Make the belt
Cut a narrow strip from the yard of leather kept aside for the project. Now, fold it lengthwise in such a way that the surfaces overlap with each other. Paste the loose ends with a leather sticking glue. Now, make holes at regular intervals in the belt and insert a buckle. Finally, when the belt is ready insert it into the belt loop. Now, your cape is complete.
Frequently asked questions
1. Question. Is it mandatory that I have to use Houndstoth cloth for making a cape?
Answer. Absolutely not, the selection of the cloth for the cape depends entirely upon your personal choice.
2. Question. Is there a specific color that I need to choose for making cape?
Answer. The selection of colors is more or less fixed as per season. Since fall is basically a gloomy and dismal season, so you need to add spark to your look. Selection of bright colors and bold prints boost up the spirited look in you.
3. Question. Can I make a cape for wearing in the summers too?
Answer. Of course yes. All you need to do is to change the base fabric of your cape to a lightweight cotton or linen cloth.
Quick tips
1. Interlocking the side seam lines of the cape in an interlock machine secures the stitches.
2. Take prior measurement of your head before making the neckline of your cape. This will save you from committing mistakes and wasting the fabric.
